Build Your Fourplex + Garden Suite in Toronto: Innovative Housing Solutions

Introduction

Welcome to BVM Contracting, where we redefine and revitalize residential living in Toronto. Our Fourplex + Garden Suite service is designed to address the city’s pressing housing needs while offering flexible solutions for homeowners and real estate investors alike. Whether you're looking to set up your multi-generational family with their own spaces, create sustainable and long-term rental income, or maximize your property’s value, creating a fourplex with an accessory dwelling unit in the form of a Garden Suite may be one way to maximize the potential of your property.

Why Choose Us?

At BVM Contracting, we pride ourselves on our commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and customer satisfaction. With years of experience in the residential construction industry in Toronto, we ensure that every project reflects our dedication to excellence. Our collaborative approach as a General Contractor allows us to work closely with you through the project design phase to bring your vision to life and ensure that your project costs are aligned with your financing.

With our experience in both new home building and home additions, we take an unbiased approach when evaluating these types of projects, which allows us to figure out the best option for your specific property. Sometimes the goal is to keep the overall costs of the project as low as possible or the client wants a building that will be maintenance-free and energy efficient. We take your goals into consideration when evaluating your existing structure and can give you construction costing for a wide range of options to make it work for your budget.

Important Considerations for Creating a Fourplex + Garden Suite in Toronto

1. Zoning Regulations

Even though fourplexes and garden suites are allowed on every residentially zoned property in Toronto as of Spring 2023, doesn’t mean that the zoning of your property will make it easy to get a permit for this type of project. You will need to review the zoning of your property to ensure that you will be able to build your project and it will get approval by the City.

BVM Contracting completes zoning reviews of properties in-house to determine the constraints of any given property in our service area. If there are some site-specific constraints that we do not have answers for we will bring in our architectural partners to help ensure that you understand the design constraints for your property. We can complete these zoning reviews with and without a survey (though a survey makes it much easier and accurate). Please reach out to us if you want to understand if your property will be a good candidate for creating a fourplex with an accessory. dwelling unit (i.e. a garden suite). We complete a thorough evaluation of your property to determine the highest and best use given your individual needs and goals for your property, which might be a fourplex + ADU but could also be another type of project!

2. Design and Layout

Depending on the sizing of your property and zoning constraints you may need to make some adjustments to the design and layout of the fourplex and garden suite to make it work for your property. For example, if you are unable to build a 4-level building to house a unit per level, you may need to consider creating two units on the same level in order to get an approval from the City. This might mean that instead of having a 3-bedroom unit on the main level you have two 1-bedroom units.

3. Permits and Approvals

Design, permitting, and approval for a project like this will take anywhere from 6-12 months, maybe longer if you are trying to maximize the usage of the property and run into pushback from the Committee of Adjustment. That is why it is very important to work with a Home Builder and Architectural Partner who can help you get organized during this lengthy process to ensure that you can hit the ground running once you get your project approved and permits in hand.

BVM Contracting has one of the most comprehensive pre-construction services in Toronto (which is free of charge btw) and will ensure that every aspect of the project is captured in our project scope. For better or worse you will know the true costs of your project so you are not left out to dry when work commences and can ensure the financing you get will work for your project

4. Budgeting and financing

We provide transparent, detailed project budgets based on your project wish-list and requirements (which are usually determined during the zoning review). We aim to get you an accurate estimate of project costs before you invest too much time and effort on a project that won’t work financially. Once you understand the zoning/design constraints and you receive a project cost estimate from us, we recommend that you reach out to a financing team to ensure that you have the necessary financials to carry the project. We have partnered with one of the leading multi-unit (or multi-family) financing teams in Toronto to allow our clients to have a trusted source and checkpoint before they get into the design phase and start spending money. We aim to have every project that goes into the design phase actually start construction, so we frontload all of the work to make sure that you feel confident.

5. Sustainability

Sustainability of the future generation of housing is an important topic that is seldom included when evaluating these types of projects because usually the focus is on creating the lowest cost project. Since sustainable upgrades to homes usually come with additional costs it is difficult for home owners and real estate investors to understand the value of these upgrades. Sustainable upgrades usually lead to more energy efficient homes that lower the operating costs of the property, which is important to keep the overall carrying costs of a multi-unit property as low as possible. There are also incentives for creating more sustainable multi-unit properties with programs like the CMHC MLI Select program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a Fourplex + Garden Suite?

A fourplex features four separate and self-contained residential units, while a garden suite is a secondary dwelling built in your backyard and is also self-contained. Together, they create flexible living arrangements ideal for various lifestyles and use cases. The 5 separate and self-contained units are the minimum number that is needed to participate in the CMHC MLI Select program, which is why this type of arrangement is so popular.

2. How can I finance the construction?

We work with reputable local lenders who specialize in financing multi-family constructions. Our network of financing specialists can guide you through the best options available to you.

3. What are the benefits of a Fourplex + Garden Suite?

This arrangement not only provides affordable rental options but also accommodates families seeking multi-generational living, all while allowing homeowners or real estate investors to supplement their mortgage through the additional rental income generated from the suites that are rented out long-term. This type of arrangement is currently the most density you can get on any residential property in Toronto (except for any property located on a major street, there is additional density you can create from owning a property on a major street in Toronto).

4. How does this qualify for the CMHC MLI Select Program?

The Fourplex + Garden Suite configuration meets the minimum criteria for the CMHC MLI Select Program by promoting affordable housing solutions and generating rental income, which can lead to longer amortizations and better mortgage rates for your project. This is subject to approval by CMHC and can be discussed with our financing specialist.

5. Can I use one of my units for short-term rentals?

Yes, as long as you or one of your immediate family members occupies one of the units as a primary residence, you will be able to apply to have one of your units operate as a short-term rental in Toronto.

6. Do I have to build a new home to create a fourplex + garden suite?

Not necessarily! If your existing home’s layout is set-up well enough to allow for 4 separate units to be created you may be able to utilize the existing structure to create the fourplex. If your current home is only well-suited for a duplex or triplex that is fine as well, the savings you will get by utilizing the existing home might offset the reduction in rental income by not adding 5 separate units.

7. How long does it take to build a Fourplex + Garden Suite?

Pending on the complexity and size of the project, these types of projects can take anywhere from 8-12 months to complete if BVM Contracting is managing the project. You will likely get longer timelines from other home builders but we have not gone over 12 months for any of our new home building projects so rest assured that this timeline is very feasible.

8. How much does it cost to build a fourplex + garden suite?

We have only priced out a few of these projects, but in the ones that we have the cost for a newly built fourplex is between $340-$380 per square foot (multiplied by the amount of rentable space, including the basement). For example, a 4000 square foot fourplex (~1000 square feet per unit would cost $1.4 Million to construct (inclusive of HST), not including design and permitting. We would also rather price out your project using your drawings and based on the existing conditions of your site, there is always slight variance from project to project that changes the final cost so send us your plans and we can get the process started! Note that the costs are usually reduced when we are able to work within an existing structure, so if you’d like to evaluate the costs for retrofitting your existing home into a multi-unit please reach out to us for a free consultation!

For the garden suite portion, the cost per square foot is usually higher. Somewhere between $400-$500 per square foot (inclusive of HST) would be a good starting point for the finished space for your garden suite project. Due to a Garden Suite having a smaller square footage the cost per square foot increases.

9. Is parking required when building a Fourplex?

Per the City of Toronto Website, as of February 3, 2022, duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes are not required to provide parking spaces on the property.

10. Are there development charges for constructing a fourplex?

Per the City of Toronto Website, as long as the multiplex is limited to 4 units (i.e. a fourplex) development charges do not apply. This does not include the garden suite, which also would be exempt from development charges.

11. Does the ability to build a fourplex + garden suite also apply to properties with laneway suite?

Yes, the same rules apply! Everything on this webpage can be transferred to a property that can build a laneway suite.

Use Cases for Building a Fourplex + Garden Suite

Affordable Rentals

Combat the housing crisis as a citizen developer in Toronto by providing accessible rental options for a diverse range of tenants.

Multi-Generational Families

Design homes that allow your family members to live closely while maintaining their independence, fostering a supportive living environment.

Subsidizing Mortgage Costs

Utilize rental income from the fourplex to alleviate financial pressures, making homeownership more feasible and sustainable.

Short-Term Rentals

Tap into the lucrative short-term rental market, using the garden suite or individual units to maximize your property’s earning potential through a short-term rental in Toronto.

Converting your Single Family Dwelling into a Fourplex with a garden suite

No development charges and the potential for long-term revenue through rental income this is a great opportunity for citizen developers, real estate investors, and property owners to densify their property.

Get Started Today!

Are you ready to transform your property with a Fourplex + Garden Suite in Toronto? Contact BVM Contracting today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our expert team is eager to help you design and build a space that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations!

Featured Articles Similar to this service

Featured Toronto Fourplex + Garden Suite Projects

We are currently working on some exciting multi-unit developments in the pre-construction phase! Check back in a few months to see our first project!

About BVM Contracting

BVM Contracting is a family-run residential construction company in Toronto, specializing in substantial home renovation and home-building projects. This includes home additions, home extensions, custom home building, new home construction (including infill developments), accessory dwelling unit construction (including laneway suites and garden suites), single-family to multi-unit development projects (including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and fourplex + ADU), legal basement apartments, and full interior renovations. We offer the most comprehensive (and free) pre-construction planning services in Toronto. We walk you through the entire process from concept to completion to make sure your project is delivered on time and on budget!